Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
10 May 2024 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo supplied
Maureen Maisiri - Keynote Speaker PhD Candidate UFS
Delivering the keynote address at the first PhD Colloquium in Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaption, Maureen Maisiri said that it is important to stop taking approaches that do not include people affected by disasters and climate change.

In the midst of South Africa's complex socioeconomic challenges, including poverty, food insecurity, and environmental degradation, a study tiled: Nature-based solutions practices: implications on farm performance, sustainable environment, poverty reduction and food security among South African households? explores the potential of nature-based solutions (NBS) to address these pressing issues. Focused on disaster risk management and climate change adaptation, this study examines the adoption of NBS and its impact on environmental sustainability, agricultural productivity, and community resilience. Collins Okolie aims to offer valuable insights for policy makers, farmers, and communities by investigating the viability of NBS as a strategy for mitigating disaster risk and managing climate change. His work emphasises the importance of raising awareness about NBS and its transformative potential in enhancing farm performance, food security, and poverty reduction.

This study was one of a number of studies discussed during the first three-day PhD Colloquium in Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation hosted by the Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa (DiMTEC) at the University of the Free State (UFS).

Becoming a centre of excellence

According to Dr Olivia Kunguma, Lecturer in DiMTEC who acted as chair, the colloquium was inspired by DiMTEC’s vision to become a centre of excellence. It aimed to support PhD candidates and find solutions and recommendations for the increasing incidents and declared disasters in Africa. She added that the colloquium was also the centre’s way of contributing to the achievement of global targets, such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 priorities, the Paris Climate Change Agreement of 2015, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Among the more than 80 delegates who attended the colloquium were key stakeholders in disaster management, including representatives from the National Disaster Management Centre and the Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre, in addition to the PhD candidates. The event also received support from UFS research structures, including the Directorate Research Development represented by its Director, Dr Glen Taylor, and the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, represented by the Dean, Prof Paul Oberholster. External stakeholders in attendance included Counsellor Lulama Titi-Odili, the Deputy Mayor of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, and Khotso Tsotsotso, the acting Head of the Old Mutual Foundation. The event was also sponsored by the Old Mutual Foundation, the Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre, and the National Disaster Management Centre. “Having the Old Mutual Foundation as the primary sponsor is exciting for the disaster management fraternity, as it will see insurance companies take a growing interest in disaster risk management, resilience building, and climate change adaptation,” said Dr Kunguma.

Dr Kunguma pointed out the excitement and productive engagement between the audience and the PhD candidates as a particular highlight of the event. She emphasised the rigorous and scientific feedback received by the candidates, allowing them to reflect on their research motivation, perspectives, and future implications. The event provided an invaluable opportunity for PhD candidates to receive practical, social, and scientific feedback from both research experts and industry professionals. Dr Kunguma remarked, “The feedback and engagements have improved their work, and sharpened their presentation skills and confidence in their work and in themselves.”

Additionally, the initiative provoked praise from the Deputy Mayor, who underlined her role in advocating for increased funding for disaster management. Counsellor Titi-Odili stressed the importance of budgeting sufficiently for disasters. She acknowledged that disasters often originate at the local level and advocated for adjustments in the disaster declaration process. She also proposed the involvement of interns or graduates in government disaster management efforts.

Jurgens Dyssel from the National Disaster Management Centre also provided his input on the value of this initiative. He indicated that such a platform brings new knowledge that should be aligned with industry needs for translation into community impact. He suggested that the colloquium be aligned with the National Disaster Management Research Agenda, a repository for all research in disaster and climate studies.

Tshepo Motlhale, Chief Director of the Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre, added that the colloquium is an innovative platform for diversifying all aspects of interventions and creating a space to enhance partnerships and collaborations to come up with solutions.

Blended systematic and sustainable solutions

Giving a voice to the PhD candidates was Maureen Maisiri, who was also appointed as the keynote speaker for this event. According to her, there is a need to create blended systematic and sustainable solutions and to stop taking approaches that do not include people affected by disasters and climate change. Maisiri encouraged fellow PhD candidates to work in teams, to appreciate diversity, and to be disciplined.

In the panel discussion on My PhD journey and contribution to Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation, the work of Daizy Nalwamba and Zukiswa Poto investigated critical aspects of disaster risk management and climate change adaptation. Nalwamba's study in Zambia explored the effectiveness of environmental education in promoting sustainable practices, revealing gaps between knowledge and practical application. Meanwhile, Poto's research in South Africa highlighted the need to prioritise economic resilience in disaster management legislation, advocating for proactive measures to support business continuity and community resilience.

News Archive

Official opening ceremony of the UFS Qwaqwa Campus
2006-02-15

Official opening ceremony of the UFS Qwaqwa Campus
11th February 2006 – Multipurpose Hall

Opening Speech:
Prof. Peter A. Mbati
Campus Principal

Successfully rising to the challenges of incorporations and mergers – developing a vibrant and academically stimulating satellite campus of the University of the Free State.

Thank you Mr. Program Director and good morning ladies and gentlemen.

I wish to once again welcome all of you to the official opening ceremony of the University of the Free State QQ campus.  Thank you for taking time to share with us an important date in our campus academic calendar.  I bring you greetings from our Rector and Vice Chancellor Prof. Frederick Fourie.

During such occasions we try and reflect on important matters that have affected us as an institution in the preceding year, commit ourselves to specific objectives for the current year, while planning for the proceeding year.

Today I shall be talking on Successfully rising to the challenges of incorporations and mergers – developing a vibrant and academically stimulating satellite campus of the University of the Free State’.

SRC inauguration
I would like to congratulate the SRC President and the entire SRC leadership for being elected into important positions of student leadership and authority. 

As a university we are proud of the quality of our student leadership on the Qwaqwa campus.  I am confident that you young leaders will rise to the challenges of your office and discharge your duties with diligence and without fear or favour.  That you will rise above your party affiliations and provide effective leadership to the entire student body on campus.
                              
Leadership is complex and requires you to be objective, just and fair in your approach to the many challenges that you will encounter.  You will be judged not by the populist decision that you take when confronted with difficult choices, but rather, on the wisdom that you exercise in reaching consensus in decision making processes.

The era when management and student leadership viewed each other with suspicion and as adversaries is long gone.  Management, academic and administrative staff, parents and students must have common agendas in as far the  quality growth and development of our university is concerned and to strive towards academic excellence.  I leave the challenge to you students, and more so to the inaugurated student leaders to define your agenda in achieving this noble objective.  I trust that you will make the right choices.

Brief history of incorporation
On the recommendations of the National Working Group of Higher Education, the Qwaqwa Campus of the then University of the North was incorporated into the University of the Free State on 1st January 2003.  We suddenly had to move from a campus that was originally semi-autonomous and with its own culture developed over almost 20 years, into a campus that had to operate as a fully integrated campus of the UFS, a 100 year old institution with its distinct culture.

Following incorporation, we not only had to continue with our core business of teaching, learning, research and community service, but we also had to engage in other important aspects such as exploring the most appropriate models of governance for the campus, encouraging dialogue and interactions at all levels between personnel at the different campuses with a view to developing trust between colleagues. And with the added dimensions such as participation in the transformation task team we in effect are at the fore front of developing a new institutional culture at the UFS and a truly South African University.

UFS Strategic objectives
The strategic and transformation priorities of the University of the Free State for 2006 – 2008 as approved by the Executive Management at its retreat in January 2006 are:

  • Quality and Excellence
  • Equity, diversity and redress
  • Financial sustainability
  • Regional co-operation and engagement

Central to this priority is the integration of the Qwaqwa campus as a valuable constituent part of the UFS, and the strategic reconfiguration of the campus in order that the UFS can play a meaningful role in regional engagement and development.

  • National leadership

The five strategic objectives cannot be viewed in isolation and run simultaneously and in concert with each other. 

The Question must therefore be what we on the QQ campus, staff and students, parents and our broader community are willing to do to achieve these strategic objectives. The reconfiguration and strategic planning of this campus, and therefore its success, must be a collaborative effort between colleagues at QQ and on the main campus.  We must all be ready to work together, to plan together, to shoulder responsibilities together and sometimes, to share the pain and disappointments together. 

The second question must therefore be: are we prepared to go that extra mile for our campus to ensure that we claim our rightful stake within the ranks of well respected academic institutions of higher learning in this country?  At this point in its history this campus requires committed men and women from across the cultural spectrum who appreciate the challenges ahead of us and who are ready to give of their best and to constructively engage at all levels to make this dream a reality.  Because this dream is possible and this dream will be realized!

Quality and Excellence (1st strategic objective)

As mentioned by the Rector in his speech at the official opening ceremony of the university on the main campus on Friday 3rd February, the university will in 2006 pay extra attention to Quality and Excellence.  This is informed by the Higher Education Quality Committee’s (HEQC) institutional audit which is scheduled to take place this year.  Our university as well as several other HEI’s will be subjected to this audit.  This will call for a lot of hard work on your part in preparation for a successful audit and in this regard therefore I request for your cooperation.

As a further step in confirming our commitment to quality and excellence, we have simultaneously introduced on the QQ campus and the main campus workshops on performance management systems to a cohort group.  This will be expanded in 2006 to a wider group of managers on the QQ campus to include among others all Program Heads and Subject Heads. PMS is an invaluable tool for fair, effective and efficient management of a very important resource on campus – the human resource.  Benefits of PMS include among others:

  • Instilling and enriching a culture of performance management (quality assurance) as an integral part of the day to day functioning of staff at the campus
  • Improving staff performance through mentoring, development and training

Tri campus project
One of the more important projects that we as a university undertook in 2005 was the Tri Campus Project which was coordinated by the Free State Higher Education Consortium (FSHEC) through Niel Butcher and Associates consultants.

The Tri-Campus project focused on the strategic planning for higher education campuses in the Free State that have been incorporated with UFS and CUT during the reshaping of the South African higher education landscape. The Bloemfontein Vista campus and the Qwaqwa campus of the University of the North were incorporated with the UFS, and the Welkom Vista campus with the CUT.

The planning process involved a range of research and consultation activities during the course of 2005. This included:

  • Conducting situational analyses of the Qwaqwa campus during which staff and students were widely consulted;
  • Consulting with the campus and with a range of stakeholders in the sub-region
  • Review of the Free State Provincial Growth and Development Strategy and Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) of the regions and other research of relevance to the sub-regions, province and country.

An operational framework for the reconfiguration of the campus with a range of possible Program Qualification Mixes has been produced.  In December 2005, the Rector, the Vice Rector Academic Planning Prof. Magda Fourie and I discussed this document with senior members of the DoE in Pretoria, and we will soon be meeting with the National Minister of Education Me Naledi Pandor for her guidance and to seek support in the further refinement of the document and subsequent implementation.

Recapitalization
This year a further R 6 M has been budgeted for recapitalization.  In about two weeks time the third of phase of renovations on campus will commence and attention will be given to the administration building, the humanities and the outstanding work in the lecture hall complex.  There- after the library, sciences and education buildings will follow.  As you will recall a substantial portion of the R 8.4 million in 2005 was used to upgrade the student residences and the lecture hall complex.

I am certain that the renovations and upgrading of our infrastructure and physical facilities including landscaping will create an enabling environment for you to enjoy your work and studies on this campus.

Renovations come with some measure of inconveniences and I therefore wish to request for your patience and support during this period.

Closing remarks
There is a heightened spirit of optimism on what the future holds for this campus.  This is evident when I talk to a large cross section of staff and students of this campus – and I therefore invite all of you to come and be partners with us on this journey of optimism and hope of what the future holds for the UFS – QQ campus.

Thank you and God bless!

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept